Ride or race is the question NASCAR's title contenders are considering as they prepare for Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. Should they hold back patiently awaiting their chance or aggressively seek the lead?

Sunday's fourth race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup could be the one that shuffles the 12-driver championship field.

The use of restrictor plates bunches the field, and the unpredictability of drafting and relying on partners usually creates a chaotic race that can end a driver's title hopes.

So when qualifying ended Saturday, and Kasey Kahne sat on the pole for the first time at a plate race, drivers began discussing in earnest how they will attack the 500-mile event.

"We just really need to race and race hard," Kahne said. "We're a long ways back right now, and if we can't make up points at a track like this, we probably aren't going to make them up."

Three-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart qualified fourth and was followed by Greg Biffle as Chase drivers took four of the top five starting sports.

-- Funny Car title contender Jack Beckman set a national record en route to his fourth No. 1 qualifying position of the season in the Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals in Mohnton. Pa., the fourth of six Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship events. David Grubnic led the Top Fuel qualifiers, Jason Line topped Pro Stock and Eddie Krawiec led in Pro Stock Motorcycle.

ELSEWHERE

Sandusky jurors favor life sentence

Jerry Sandusky should be sent to prison for life when a judge sentences him Tuesday, according to several of the jurors who convicted the former Penn State assistant coach of molesting several boys over a period of years.

None of the jurors said they have had second thoughts about their verdict, and several plan to attend the sentencing.

"There isn't a sentence that I believe is harsh enough for what he has done and how it has affected the university," said Joan Andrews, a juror who has worked for Penn State for 41 years and held football season tickets since 1969. "I don't think there's been one individual in this entire campus that has not been affected by this."

Four jurors said they plan to be in the courtroom when Sandusky, 68, learns the penalty for sexually abusing boys he met through a charity for at-risk children. Sandusky's attorney expects his client to be handed a long sentence from Judge John Cleland after conviction on 45 counts.

Although a list of jurors has not been released by Cleland, the Associated Press was able to contact five of them. They said they recently received a letter from the court informing them about the sentencing and offering to have a court official meet them outside the courthouse.

A court system spokesman said the jurors are guaranteed a seat but won't necessarily be sitting together.

Only one of the five, retired Penn State soil sciences professor Daniel D. Fritton, said he would not attend.

"I'd just like to stay out of the limelight, for one thing," Fritton said. "I figure I could read in the paper what happens."

Bobsled: Steve Langton won the U.S. men's bobsled push championship at Lake Placid, N.Y., topping a field of 39 athletes for his fourth national title. The reigning world push champion - who helped the U.S. win two- and four-man world titles on the ice last season - had a two-run time of 8.83 seconds, edging Dallas Robinson (8.85) and Curt Tomasevicz (8.98). The push championships are part of the process for coaches and pilots to select teams for the season.